Don't look at me like that. You've received them too.
Send money now. Insert the sad and implausible tale of a unique situation gone awry. Don't forget the foreign angle to play off the 'we-are-Americans-and-nothing-so-odd-and-unfortunate-like-that-could-ever-happen-in-OUR-society' mindset. The massive breakdown of common sense, financial wherewithal and natural human decency all converge to plead with and prey upon the most compassionate and quick-to-act stateside souls.
Yeah, you've received just the email I'm talking about, haven't you? Well, we got one recently. On his way back from Europe and XYZ happened and now my former business/ministry associate needed money wired to him pronto.
Immediately my 'let me handle this' mentality kicked in and I began guffawing as I listed the numerous ways that the story just couldn't hold up. Nice try, buddy. Yes, I had outsmarted this hacker with my logic and was proud of it.
Then the real and far-more-inspiring truth hit me. There was absolutely no way my friend could have sent that email. I'm not sure how good he is at spelling or the status of his grammar skills, but it goes much deeper than that. I read the paragraph again and again. It's what wasn't there that I then saw more clearly.
You see, the supposed emailer and I share a common faith. We've both experienced the miracle of new birth. We both have been saved by grace through faith. Jesus is Savior and Lord and both of us embrace that truth. And as I remembered every interaction I've ever had with this man, I couldn't imagine a scenario in which these characteristics wouldn't be on display. Including an emergency email from a foreign country.
I have been contemplating Matthew 5:16 lately. "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." I think the best of our actions do exactly that. Somehow, they invite others in the path of those labors to note not how great WE are but instead to look right through us to see how great a God we serve. And I'm not talking about just the do-good activities that generally come to mind with these light-shining functions. It can be done with happenings from feeding the poor to encouraging the downtrodden to...well, simply communicating with others.
It can get to the point like it had with my associate. It was as if he was a walking, talking ambassador here among us of some other kingdom. And that's exactly what he is. As am I. And all believers and followers of Christ as we venture on as pilgrims through this world. It becomes our defining characteristic. It can be seen in unique situations when called upon (like needing a lot of money in an emergency) and in the mundane everyday moments of life (like sending an email). Put those two together, and He still wants to shine through us so others see Him.
Things will happen. Someday, my friend may be caught up in some emergency. His only logical response to it might be to contact his friends and acquaintances and humbly ask for help. But the gospel light within him will phrase that potential email in such a way that I will not be looking just at him and his need but at our common Provider instead. My prayer is that if you interact with me today, you will see the same thing.
Join me in the journey, won't you? Send no money.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas Countdown 2010 - Dec 3
Don't Miss Christmas
I couldn't help but notice a couple of things today in the normal course of events. Here they are:
* did some quick shopping during my lunch break, along with half of Iredell County. As I was strolling out the door, I caught a bit of the song that was playing in the background. "Christ, the Savior is born...Christ, the Savior is born". I stopped for a moment and just marveled at that truth. The gospel being sung and heard in your local store, and I wondered how many paid no attention to it at all. And how many times I have done the same.
* three words: Christmas in Davidson. Friends and festivities in a somewhat Bedford Falls-ish setting. Can't beat that. As we sat through a simple live nativity storytelling time done by one of the local churches, complete with an actual camel and donkeys, I was again struck by the simple yet amazing words that were read and sung. With kids intently looking to see if the baby was real or just a doll, and William asking me to go see the camel again, I noticed that the sound system being used in the parking lot was able to pick up much of the general hub-bub and background noise that the setting provided. And in the midst of it all, there again was the truth of a Savior come to save His people from their sins. Amazing.
So notice that the truth is around us. Don't miss Christmas.
I couldn't help but notice a couple of things today in the normal course of events. Here they are:
* did some quick shopping during my lunch break, along with half of Iredell County. As I was strolling out the door, I caught a bit of the song that was playing in the background. "Christ, the Savior is born...Christ, the Savior is born". I stopped for a moment and just marveled at that truth. The gospel being sung and heard in your local store, and I wondered how many paid no attention to it at all. And how many times I have done the same.
* three words: Christmas in Davidson. Friends and festivities in a somewhat Bedford Falls-ish setting. Can't beat that. As we sat through a simple live nativity storytelling time done by one of the local churches, complete with an actual camel and donkeys, I was again struck by the simple yet amazing words that were read and sung. With kids intently looking to see if the baby was real or just a doll, and William asking me to go see the camel again, I noticed that the sound system being used in the parking lot was able to pick up much of the general hub-bub and background noise that the setting provided. And in the midst of it all, there again was the truth of a Savior come to save His people from their sins. Amazing.
So notice that the truth is around us. Don't miss Christmas.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Christmas Countdown 2010 - Dec 2
Decorating the Tree!Random thoughts about how the Christmas tree gets decorated in these here parts...
1 - since our tree is usually a little Charlie Brown-ish, the picture at left is all that I will post. Needless to say, this year that particular ornament got put near the bottom of the tree.
2 - you know how sometimes when you are a kid, you say to yourself "I am never going to do that when I get older"? And then sometimes you don't but sometimes you do it anyway? Well, one thing that I WILL NEVER DO is put those little iddy biddy silver icicle thingies on a Christmas tree. Maybe it was the time spent painstakingly taking each strand out of storage and placing it equally around all portions of the tree as a child. Maybe it was my sense of laziness that accompanied that particular step in the Christmas prep process. But something years ago gave me the strong desire to NOT use that form of decorations. Proud to say that I have lived up to this one and always will. And let's not even go there regarding having to take them all off the tree and back in storage for another year!
3 - key factor in tree decorating is placement of the tree in relation to the window. Must see yuletide cheer in light form when coming home from work. Our children are well-trained on making sure the lights are on for this to happen.
4 - the 'under the tree' stockpile grows at a decent clip here with two December birthdays in the household.
5 - you kids have fun on your 'lets-go-cut-down-our-own-tree-and-haul-it-home' outing. Been there, done that (and it was fun). But we've resigned ourselves to just getting the box out of the storage area in the garage. Pre-lit, baby!
6 - what to put at the top of the tree? In the past, we've had angels, the cross, a bell one year I think... This year it's a mistletoe sprig.
7 - ah, the Christmas tree...a great opportunity to sing 'O Tannenbaum'...auf Deutsch nachturlich!
Friday, July 9, 2010
My Little Black Book
It is usually a bit of advice that I give to others. This evening, I had the privilege of it's benefit.
Often we fail to take the time to stop and...oh, what's the best word. Evaluate? Consider? Remember? Take stock? Acknowledge? Count your blessings? So, in the midst of 'everything is so (fill in the blank...wrong/crazy/hard/difficult/unfair/depressing/etc)' type of moments, I try to encourage others to look around a bit and see things with a slightly new perspective. Look back a few weeks/months/years and see what progress has been made.
So tonight I started to clean up and organize of bit of my little kingdom of piles-o-stuff around the house. We're having some people over this weekend and, well, I just thought it appropriate to do so. And the pile of papers, books and other items on top of the desk was the first place to tackle. Soon my little black book was uncovered and I started leafing through it.
This 88-cent gem has been used in many varied ways. It has been my source for simple note-taking and thought-jotting-down for a while now. I like it because it is small enough to fit in my pocket easily and therefore is quite mobile when it needs to be. I saw notes on meetings I had attended and pieces of information that just couldn't stay in my mind. Go ahead, see if you can rattle off the model and serial number of your water heater! It is not a foolproof system, however, since one page had a list of phrases that were apparently there to jog my memory for blog post ideas. They look like great titles/ideas, but I'm afraid the inspiration isn't there for the details anymore.
But I did enjoy reminding myself of a number of things that the last few months have produced. Notes on the joyful truth of our covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. Multiple prayer requests from our small group at church that have joyously been answered. Reminders about how to prepare for certain things that were just what I needed to read and hear about now. Insights on a new study/reading/discussion plan that has seen great growth and impact since it started. Key passages and phrases from scripture that redirected my gaze. The word 'thankfulness' attached to one person in particular multiple times and one who I would easily say is characterized by, well, being thankful. And then there's those water heater details that reminded me of a couple of cold, quick showers in the mornings and the subsequent provision of a new and improved and energy-saving water heater!
Life suddenly seems a bit better. A little spring in my step now. The last few months have not been silent. They too have proclaimed a little bit more of our sovereign God's love, care and concern. And for that I am grateful.
If you've got your own little notebook of goodies from the months gone by, go find it and put it in it's right place. That may mean 'off the stack of books and papers' if you haven't cleaned up for a while like me. But it definitely means refreshing your mind and soul with a thankful review.
Often we fail to take the time to stop and...oh, what's the best word. Evaluate? Consider? Remember? Take stock? Acknowledge? Count your blessings? So, in the midst of 'everything is so (fill in the blank...wrong/crazy/hard/difficult/unfair/depressing/etc)' type of moments, I try to encourage others to look around a bit and see things with a slightly new perspective. Look back a few weeks/months/years and see what progress has been made.
So tonight I started to clean up and organize of bit of my little kingdom of piles-o-stuff around the house. We're having some people over this weekend and, well, I just thought it appropriate to do so. And the pile of papers, books and other items on top of the desk was the first place to tackle. Soon my little black book was uncovered and I started leafing through it.
This 88-cent gem has been used in many varied ways. It has been my source for simple note-taking and thought-jotting-down for a while now. I like it because it is small enough to fit in my pocket easily and therefore is quite mobile when it needs to be. I saw notes on meetings I had attended and pieces of information that just couldn't stay in my mind. Go ahead, see if you can rattle off the model and serial number of your water heater! It is not a foolproof system, however, since one page had a list of phrases that were apparently there to jog my memory for blog post ideas. They look like great titles/ideas, but I'm afraid the inspiration isn't there for the details anymore.
But I did enjoy reminding myself of a number of things that the last few months have produced. Notes on the joyful truth of our covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. Multiple prayer requests from our small group at church that have joyously been answered. Reminders about how to prepare for certain things that were just what I needed to read and hear about now. Insights on a new study/reading/discussion plan that has seen great growth and impact since it started. Key passages and phrases from scripture that redirected my gaze. The word 'thankfulness' attached to one person in particular multiple times and one who I would easily say is characterized by, well, being thankful. And then there's those water heater details that reminded me of a couple of cold, quick showers in the mornings and the subsequent provision of a new and improved and energy-saving water heater!
Life suddenly seems a bit better. A little spring in my step now. The last few months have not been silent. They too have proclaimed a little bit more of our sovereign God's love, care and concern. And for that I am grateful.
If you've got your own little notebook of goodies from the months gone by, go find it and put it in it's right place. That may mean 'off the stack of books and papers' if you haven't cleaned up for a while like me. But it definitely means refreshing your mind and soul with a thankful review.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Seven Weeks and a Towel
It was the woman you gave me, Lord!
So goes the joke that surrounds the events now seven weeks old. And that’s exactly what it is…just a joke. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Sometimes things happen. And sometimes when those things happen, a bone gets broken.
We were just having fun with our son on the basketball court. In the flash of a moment, legs got tangled and the two of us were going down. Sarah fell gracefully. Me? Not so much.
Ice kept the swelling down long enough to get me to a Sunday afternoon visit to the urgent care. X-rays confirmed that the tip of the radius head bone in my left arm was broken. I’m not sure what goes through your mind when you hear ‘broken arm’, but here’s what goes through mine. Pain and expense and time. But instead of dwelling on the details of what I was thinking at that moment, let’s fast forward to the truth of which I was again graciously reminded.
Healing happens.
Our bodies amazingly not only allow for healing, but actually argue for it. Here is the list of applied remedies and medical assistance for the situation I found myself in: seven weeks and a towel. Well, at least it looked like a towel. Upon concluding that my arm was broken, the helpful nurses and technicians at the local urgent care decided that a towel was the trick. “We’ll just put this on your arm, it will conform to your elbow and forearm, and you’ll be good to go.” Good until the soon-coming appointment with the orthopedic doctor, that is. Here we go, I thought. This was going to be the first of many steps. Surgeries, repeat visits to medical facilities, and more. So they applied the towel thing to my arm and sure enough it hardened a bit and took the shape of my arm and was a temporary cast that I could take on and off until my appointment. But when that came, the surprising commenced.
“No further casting needed.”
“Just keep your arm in the temporary cast as needed throughout the day.”
“Give it a few weeks and it should be fine.”
And then the clincher. “Unless you have some issues or problems, I don’t even think it is necessary to see you again.”
So here we are seven weeks later. I have not spent another penny on any medical needs regarding the arm. I have not had another doctor visit regarding the arm. And the arm is…healing. I’ve been without the towel/cast for a couple of weeks now. What once was extremely painful soon became doable with a wince and then became done as normal (pretty much normal anyway). I can remember not being able to reach to a certain degree with my arm. Now I can. The little I did use it caused soreness. Now not so much. There were many limitations to how I could use the arm. Now…well, there are still some, but progressing nicely, thank you very much.
So here I am. Seven weeks later. Amazed at the healing that can take place when you just allow the body to do its thing. And thankful for the grace that makes it possible.
The author of that grace and these bodies has much more in store for those who place their trust in Him. So if you find yourself in an ‘urgent care’ scenario and are tempted to start adding up the bills, the ongoing pain, and never-ending problems of what lies ahead, try and re-direct your trust. Who knows what seven weeks and a towel might bring?
So goes the joke that surrounds the events now seven weeks old. And that’s exactly what it is…just a joke. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Sometimes things happen. And sometimes when those things happen, a bone gets broken.
We were just having fun with our son on the basketball court. In the flash of a moment, legs got tangled and the two of us were going down. Sarah fell gracefully. Me? Not so much.
Ice kept the swelling down long enough to get me to a Sunday afternoon visit to the urgent care. X-rays confirmed that the tip of the radius head bone in my left arm was broken. I’m not sure what goes through your mind when you hear ‘broken arm’, but here’s what goes through mine. Pain and expense and time. But instead of dwelling on the details of what I was thinking at that moment, let’s fast forward to the truth of which I was again graciously reminded.
Healing happens.
Our bodies amazingly not only allow for healing, but actually argue for it. Here is the list of applied remedies and medical assistance for the situation I found myself in: seven weeks and a towel. Well, at least it looked like a towel. Upon concluding that my arm was broken, the helpful nurses and technicians at the local urgent care decided that a towel was the trick. “We’ll just put this on your arm, it will conform to your elbow and forearm, and you’ll be good to go.” Good until the soon-coming appointment with the orthopedic doctor, that is. Here we go, I thought. This was going to be the first of many steps. Surgeries, repeat visits to medical facilities, and more. So they applied the towel thing to my arm and sure enough it hardened a bit and took the shape of my arm and was a temporary cast that I could take on and off until my appointment. But when that came, the surprising commenced.
“No further casting needed.”
“Just keep your arm in the temporary cast as needed throughout the day.”
“Give it a few weeks and it should be fine.”
And then the clincher. “Unless you have some issues or problems, I don’t even think it is necessary to see you again.”
So here we are seven weeks later. I have not spent another penny on any medical needs regarding the arm. I have not had another doctor visit regarding the arm. And the arm is…healing. I’ve been without the towel/cast for a couple of weeks now. What once was extremely painful soon became doable with a wince and then became done as normal (pretty much normal anyway). I can remember not being able to reach to a certain degree with my arm. Now I can. The little I did use it caused soreness. Now not so much. There were many limitations to how I could use the arm. Now…well, there are still some, but progressing nicely, thank you very much.
So here I am. Seven weeks later. Amazed at the healing that can take place when you just allow the body to do its thing. And thankful for the grace that makes it possible.
The author of that grace and these bodies has much more in store for those who place their trust in Him. So if you find yourself in an ‘urgent care’ scenario and are tempted to start adding up the bills, the ongoing pain, and never-ending problems of what lies ahead, try and re-direct your trust. Who knows what seven weeks and a towel might bring?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Waiting...
The name of the game today was waiting.
It hit me on the way home from work. A stop sign. A simple right turn from there onto a two-lane highway. It can be a bit of a wait there at times. I was pleased when I came up to the intersection and noted that I was #2 in line. The guy ahead of me was taking a left, which can be a bit trickier for obvious reasons, but this wasn't going to be too bad. I just happened to notice the time as I pulled up. Waited a bit. A bit more. Started to marvel at the unique traffic patterns that elongated the typical stay at that spot. And then waited a bit more. Wondered if this was what it was always like at that time (I left work about five minutes or so later than I usually do). Waited a little longer. Couldn't he have gone just then? How about then?! Calm down, no rush. Just a bit more waiting, that's all. He finally had a clearing and went and I did the 'rolling stop' thing and pulled out. Noted the length of my stay there at about three and a half minutes.
Three and a half minutes.
Maybe a shade under four.
Some people (albeit not your normal, everyday type) can run a mile in that much time. An appropriate acceptance speech at an awards ceremony. Maybe an at-bat that goes to a full count. And I was idling and keeping the gas companies happy. But that three and a half minutes felt like an eternity.
I then remembered a phrase that I knew would greet me at some point during the evening when I got home. "I can't wait!". Somebody here turns ten tomorrow. Those words popped up last week and I knew they would make another appearance. And I understand why. Birthdays can be hard to wait for. Just before I started typing this out, the idea was even considered to potentially open a gift tonight. (She has the same birthday gift protocol as her father and that thought was quickly put aside...though she still 'can't wait' until tomorrow.)
Let's be honest. Waiting is a skill.
It's also one of the things I marvel at about the Christmas season. The waiting is over.
I try to imagine the typical good Jewish family at the time of Christ's birth. Properly taught and with a heart tuned toward the God that they were commanded to worship and awestruck by all that He communicated to them, they were in full waiting mode. The answer is coming. He will deliver us. He will save us. The messiah, the messiah...
And then another major life experience or two or three and a half goes by and there they were still...well, waiting.
As the shepherds made their way from the hills to the stable to kneel in wonder at the provision heralded by the angels (ANGELS!! In the sky and everything!!), they began to get a sense. The waiting was over. Perhaps that's why they went about 'glorifying and praising God' and sharing the news of what had happened. No more waiting. He's here now! He's here!
Downtrodden soul filled with angst, worry, doubt, fear, condemnation and guilt, know that He has come. He's here now! No more waiting!
It hit me on the way home from work. A stop sign. A simple right turn from there onto a two-lane highway. It can be a bit of a wait there at times. I was pleased when I came up to the intersection and noted that I was #2 in line. The guy ahead of me was taking a left, which can be a bit trickier for obvious reasons, but this wasn't going to be too bad. I just happened to notice the time as I pulled up. Waited a bit. A bit more. Started to marvel at the unique traffic patterns that elongated the typical stay at that spot. And then waited a bit more. Wondered if this was what it was always like at that time (I left work about five minutes or so later than I usually do). Waited a little longer. Couldn't he have gone just then? How about then?! Calm down, no rush. Just a bit more waiting, that's all. He finally had a clearing and went and I did the 'rolling stop' thing and pulled out. Noted the length of my stay there at about three and a half minutes.
Three and a half minutes.
Maybe a shade under four.
Some people (albeit not your normal, everyday type) can run a mile in that much time. An appropriate acceptance speech at an awards ceremony. Maybe an at-bat that goes to a full count. And I was idling and keeping the gas companies happy. But that three and a half minutes felt like an eternity.
I then remembered a phrase that I knew would greet me at some point during the evening when I got home. "I can't wait!". Somebody here turns ten tomorrow. Those words popped up last week and I knew they would make another appearance. And I understand why. Birthdays can be hard to wait for. Just before I started typing this out, the idea was even considered to potentially open a gift tonight. (She has the same birthday gift protocol as her father and that thought was quickly put aside...though she still 'can't wait' until tomorrow.)
Let's be honest. Waiting is a skill.
It's also one of the things I marvel at about the Christmas season. The waiting is over.
I try to imagine the typical good Jewish family at the time of Christ's birth. Properly taught and with a heart tuned toward the God that they were commanded to worship and awestruck by all that He communicated to them, they were in full waiting mode. The answer is coming. He will deliver us. He will save us. The messiah, the messiah...
And then another major life experience or two or three and a half goes by and there they were still...well, waiting.
As the shepherds made their way from the hills to the stable to kneel in wonder at the provision heralded by the angels (ANGELS!! In the sky and everything!!), they began to get a sense. The waiting was over. Perhaps that's why they went about 'glorifying and praising God' and sharing the news of what had happened. No more waiting. He's here now! He's here!
Downtrodden soul filled with angst, worry, doubt, fear, condemnation and guilt, know that He has come. He's here now! No more waiting!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Question Fer 'Ya
I came close to setting the record for the most infrequent blog posts in the history of mankind (or at least the part of mankind pertaining to the posting of web log entries). But here I am and here we go.
I've been struck lately with the myriad of ways that we as a family can spend time together. There are productive activities, fun times together, required events that we must tend to, and the occasional item that includes all of that and more. A quick list of recent Bower family agendas for time together include the following:
* back hall football
* library nights (most every Monday evening...)
* Christmas decorating
* movie nights (Pollyanna was the last one)
* just plain ol' getting ready for the next day
* reading in front of the fireplace (with a fire in it)
* game nights (I'm telling you...hire, Jace now while you can! The boy has garnered the Park Place / Boardwalk hotel empire to consecutive victories - as in like five in a row!!!)
* discussion of Bible / Advent / recent sermon-related topics
* much, much more
So, we have enjoyed time spent together in various ways. But I'd like to add to the list of ideas that rummages around in the back of my mind and make them available as needed. Here's where you come in. I'd like to know some of the memorable things that you have done together with your family. I would appreciate anything from your past or present or even future. And though we are obviously engaged in the midst of the holiday season, don't feel limited to that genre.
Would love to hear from you. Thanks for making life richer for the Bower household by doing so!
I've been struck lately with the myriad of ways that we as a family can spend time together. There are productive activities, fun times together, required events that we must tend to, and the occasional item that includes all of that and more. A quick list of recent Bower family agendas for time together include the following:
* back hall football
* library nights (most every Monday evening...)
* Christmas decorating
* movie nights (Pollyanna was the last one)
* just plain ol' getting ready for the next day
* reading in front of the fireplace (with a fire in it)
* game nights (I'm telling you...hire, Jace now while you can! The boy has garnered the Park Place / Boardwalk hotel empire to consecutive victories - as in like five in a row!!!)
* discussion of Bible / Advent / recent sermon-related topics
* much, much more
So, we have enjoyed time spent together in various ways. But I'd like to add to the list of ideas that rummages around in the back of my mind and make them available as needed. Here's where you come in. I'd like to know some of the memorable things that you have done together with your family. I would appreciate anything from your past or present or even future. And though we are obviously engaged in the midst of the holiday season, don't feel limited to that genre.
Would love to hear from you. Thanks for making life richer for the Bower household by doing so!
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